Decoding social media speak: developing a speech act theory research agenda

Abstract

Purpose – Drawing on the theoretical domain of speech act theory (SAT) and a discussion of its suitability for setting the agenda for social media research, this study aims to explore a range of research directions that are both relevant and conceptually robust, to stimulate the advancement of knowledge and understanding of online verbatim data. Design/methodology/approach – Examining previously published cross-disciplinary research, the study identifies how recent conceptual and empirical advances in SAT may further guide the development of text analytics in a social media context. Findings – Decoding content and function word use in customers’ social media communication can enhance the eff..